In a recent interview, actor Josh Thompson expressed his dissatisfaction with Disney’s portrayal of LGBTQ+ characters, particularly his role as LeFou in the live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. Thompson, who is recognized as one of Disney’s first openly gay characters, believes that the representation fell short.
“Everyone deserves to see themselves represented on screen, and I don’t think we’ve done enough,” he stated, highlighting the need for deeper queer representation in Disney films. While many know him as the voice of the lovable snowman Olaf from Frozen, his role as LeFou generated significant excitement. Director Bill Condon had previously claimed that Thompson’s performance represented Disney’s first gay character.
“LeFou is someone who one day wants to be Gaston and the next day wants to kiss him,” Condon noted in a 2017 interview, emphasizing the character’s confusion about his feelings. However, the much-anticipated “exclusive gay moment” at the end of the film turned out to be a fleeting scene featuring two men dancing, one in drag, which many critics described as a “blink-and-you’ll miss it” shot.
Despite the presence of queer individuals in Disney’s history, the brief moment in Beauty and the Beast left many LGBTQ+ viewers feeling underwhelmed. Thompson voiced his agreement with those who felt disappointed, saying, “We didn’t go far enough to say, ‘Look how brave we are.’” He further lamented that the moment was never intended to be celebrated, adding, “If we’re going to pat ourselves on the back, then we should have gone further.”
As a father of two daughters, Thompson has reflected on the messages conveyed by classic films. “It’s challenging to show my daughters movies from my childhood,” he explained, noting how many comedies from that era often portrayed women in a problematic light. His recent work in the romantic comedy-drama Wolf Like Me offers a fresh perspective, as he believes it moves beyond outdated tropes about male saviors.
Thompson doesn’t advocate for abandoning older films but emphasizes the importance of contextualizing them. In his view, storytelling has become overly simplistic, lacking the depth that older films often possessed. The live-action Beauty and the Beast is just one example of Disney’s gradual steps toward queer representation, but Thompson, like many others, is still waiting for a more meaningful recognition of LGBTQ+ individuals in their stories.
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